Parton drew inspiration for Jolene's flirtatiousness from a bank teller who had eyes on the ... Awards in 1977 Fotos International/Archive Photos/Getty 8. Dolly says the song endures because ...

But the “real” Jolene didn’t try to “take” Dean. Instead, she had a flirtatious banter with him when she helped him at the bank. "[The] song was loosely based on a little bit of truth ...